They<n id="1" /> came<n id="2" /> and woke him, saying, &#8220;Master, Master,<n id="3" /> we are about to die!&#8221; So<n id="4" /> he got up and rebuked<n id="5" /> the wind and the raging waves;<n id="6" /> they died down, and it was calm.

For Jesus<n id="1" /> had started commanding<n id="2" /> the evil<n id="3" /> spirit to come out of the man. (For it had seized him many times, so<n id="4" /> he would be bound with chains and shackles<n id="5" /> and kept under guard. But<n id="6" /> he would break the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted<n id="7" /> places.)<n id="8" />

Then<n id="1" /> all the people of the Gerasenes<n id="2" /> and the surrounding region<n id="3" /> asked Jesus<n id="4" /> to leave them alone,<n id="5" /> for they were seized with great fear.<n id="6" /> So<n id="7" /> he got into the boat and left.<n id="8" />

Then<n id="1" /> a man named Jairus, who was a ruler<n id="2" /> of the synagogue,<n id="3" /> came up. Falling<n id="4" /> at Jesus&#8217; feet, he pleaded<n id="5" /> with him to come to his house,

<t /><p class="bodytext">Once<n id="1" /> when Jesus<n id="2" /> was praying<n id="3" /> by himself, and his disciples were nearby, he asked them,<n id="4" /> &#8220;Who do the crowds say that I am?&#8221;<n id="5" />

But they did not understand this statement; its meaning<n id="1" /> had been concealed<n id="2" /> from them, so that they could not grasp it. Yet<n id="3" /> they were afraid to ask him about this statement.p>

Jesus<n id="1" /> said to him, &#8220;No one who puts his<n id="2" /> hand to the plow and looks back<n id="3" /> is fit for the kingdom of God.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

Jesus replied,<n id="1" /> &#8220;A man was going down<n id="2" /> from Jerusalem<n id="3" /> to Jericho,<n id="4" /> and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat<n id="5" /> him up, and went off, leaving him half dead.<n id="6" />

If you then, although you are<n id="1" /> evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit<n id="2" /> to those who ask him!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">As<n id="1" /> he said these things, a woman in the crowd spoke out<n id="2" /> to him, &#8220;Blessed is the womb<n id="3" /> that bore you and the breasts at which you nursed!&#8221;<n id="4" />

But the Lord said to him, &#8220;Now you Pharisees clean<n id="1" /> the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.<n id="2" />

then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, and will cut him in two,<n id="1" /> and assign him a place with the unfaithful.<n id="2" />

But the one who did not know his master&#8217;s will<n id="1" /> and did things worthy of punishment<n id="2" /> will receive a light beating.<n id="3" /> From everyone who has been given much, much will be required,<n id="4" /> and from the one who has been entrusted with much,<n id="5" /> even more will be asked.<n id="6" />p>

But one after another they all<n id="1" /> began to make excuses.<n id="2" /> The first said to him, &#8216;I have bought a field,<n id="3" /> and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.&#8217;<n id="4" />

Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down<n id="1" /> first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose<n id="2" /> the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

But the father said to his slaves,<n id="1" /> &#8216;Hurry! Bring the best robe,<n id="2" /> and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger<n id="3" /> and sandals<n id="4" /> on his feet!

The slave replied,<n id="1" /> &#8216;Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf<n id="2" /> because he got his son<n id="3" /> back safe and sound.&#8217;

So<n id="1" /> he called the manager<n id="2" /> in and said to him, &#8216;What is this I hear about you?<n id="3" /> Turn in the account of your administration,<n id="4" /> because you can no longer be my manager.&#8217;

And when Jesus came to that place, he looked up<n id="1" /> and said to him, &#8220;Zacchaeus, come down quickly,<n id="2" /> because I must<n id="3" /> stay at your house today.&#8221;<n id="4" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">While the people were listening to these things, Jesus<n id="1" /> proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem,<n id="2" /> and because they thought<n id="3" /> that the kingdom of God<n id="4" /> was going to<n id="5" /> appear immediately.